Servo control



July 22, 1941; N. c. PRICE l ssnvo CONTROL A 'Filed Jung 6. 19:59

Figi

l nventr' 1:"1926.` Nothlon C. Price' KLM . Gttorneg I Patented July 22, 1941 SERVO CONTROL Nathan C. Price, Seattle, Wash., assigner, by

mesne assignments, to Boeing Aircraft Company, Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Wash- Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,661

4 Claims.

The present invention contemplates a servo control whereby a weak force, when brought into play by movement of a controlling element, entrains movement'of a controlled element by a strong force, which servo control will be selfadjusting into any one of an inlnite number of positions of equilibrium throughout its rangeof movement. In this manner the position of the controlled element at any time will be governed by theposition or setting of the controlling element,` whereby movement of the controlled element will follow directly movement of the controlling element, yet without any positive connection between them, and merely by the interposition of the servo device to increase the power applicable to effect movement of the controlled device.

The control of devices aboard aircraft, under the influence of weak forces generated in controlling elements such as light thermostats or pressure-sensitive devices, by mechanism not susceptible to the influence of vibrations or other temporary or transitory effects, and which mechanism yet will be light and thoroughly reliable,

is one of the principal objectives of my invention.

Such servo devices have found application, for instance, in the control of the valve mechanism of devices for determining, controlling, and limiting the pressure or pressure differential within a supercharged aircraft cabin, in which instance the controlling element is a pressure-sensitive device of some sort. Such an arrangement is shown, for instance, in my copending applica-l tion Serial No. 216,028, filed July 19, 1937, and in my Patent No. 2,208,554, issued July 16, 1940, respectively. The invention has also been found useful in thermostatically controlling the circulation of a heated fluid, intended for heating a galley aboard an aircraft. Such an arrangement is shown, for instance, in my Patent No. 2,193,142, issued March 12, 1940.

.It is an object of the invention to provide a servo device of the general nature indicated which may be susceptible of control by various physical characteristics, and which may be employed to effect control movement of various types of devices, and which is at the same time capable of accomplishing the objectives indicated above.

In a special form itis an object of the invention to provide a servo device of this type the movable member whereof (e. g., a piston) is connected to the controlled element and is normally urged in one direction by yieldable means, such as a spring, and which is caused to move in the opposite direction by a fluid pressure medium, the force of the uidpressure medium and that of the spring being normally held in equilibrium by reason of escape of the pressure uid past the piston and out a vent, movable with the piston, the opening of which vent is controlled by a vent closure means which is movable under the influence of the controlling element, whereby the controlled element, connected to the piston, is moved in one direction by the yieldable means, and in the opposite direction by the pressure iiuid medium acting ,upon the piston.

These objects, and others which will appear hereafter, will be better understood from a study of the accompanying drawings, of this specication, and of the claims which terminate the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in certain representative forms, and in connection with typical controlling and controlled devices, it being understood that the form, character and arrangement of parts may be varied without departure from the principles of my invention as hereinafter defined.

Figure 1 is a view, including a diagram, of a fluid circulating system for supplying a heat transfer fluid from a source of heat to a heat utilizing device, such as the galley of an aircraft. This illustrates such a servo device operable under control of thermostatic means.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 aretransverse sections through the servo device on the respective lines 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, and 5 5, respectively, of Figure l.

Figure 6 is an axial section of the servo device,

the plane of section being at right angles to that of Figure 1. While the details of the systems in which such servo devices are connected are not of large importance, it will assist in understanding the invention and the manner in which it operates if the nature of these devices be explained brieily and generally.

The system illustrated in Figure 1 includes a boiler 8, exposed to hot gases, to which fluid under pressure is supplied from a tank 80 by means of a pump 8l, the uid being delivered by a pressure line 82 to some heat-utilizing device (not shown, but as explained in Patent No. 2,193,142, for instance), and returning to the tank by way of the return line 83. The temperature of the boiler, hence of the uid, vis controlled by a vane 'l, directing more or less hot gas over the boiler, and by a vane 'I0 which directs less or more cold air over the boiler; the two vanes are operated in unison, but oppositely, by

` fpressure passage element 38 `may place cation with a chamber a connecting link 1I and an arm 12, to which connects a link 18.

The chamber 28 is open, through a passage 21 in its head, to pressure iiuid passing through the conduit 32, by way of certain ports which will be described in detail hereafter. The thermostat 85 is arranged as a spiral ribbon within an enlargement or chamber of the supply passage, which is in communication with the chamber 21 and the fluid passing therethrough. One end of the spiral ribbon 85 is in eilect anchored to the casing 28, and the other end is connected to a rotatable *.em 38, which functions as a vent closure.

Internally the chamber 28 is provided with two fixed abutments 28, andv a cylindrical, axially hollow hub I4 carries two radial vanes I5 which constitute oscillatable pistons, and which divide the chambers defined by the lixed abutments 28 v into two compartments, which compartments are designated 5I and 52.

'I'he hub I 4 is provided at each of four different axially spaced planes, represented by Figures 2,

l3, 4, and 5, respectively, and indicated on Figure l, with a pair of ports 8I, 82, in the ilrst plane, shown in Figure 2, adxnittlng to the respective compartments 5I and 52 at the left of the vanes I5, but at opposite sides of the fixed abutments 28; with the pair of ports 83 and 84, leading to the respective compartments 5I and 52, but now, as shown in Figure 3, at the right of the vanes I5; with the pair of ports 85 and 88, as shown-in Figure 4, which admit to the same compartments 5I and 52 as. are shown in Figure 3 (those to the right of the vanes I5); and finally, asl seen in Figure 5, the pair of ports 81 and 88, admitting now to the respective compartments 5I and 52, which are the same as those shown in Figure 2,'namely, those at the left of the vanes I5.

The rotatable element' 38, oscillatable under the influence of the thermostat 85, is provided with a longitudinal vent passage 3l, somewhat offset from its axis, and communicating directly with the relief conduit 34. The element 38 has also longitudinal 'passages 32 and 31 which are in communication with the chamber 21 and with the pressure iiuid therein, so that the passages 32 and 31 may be considered pressure passages, as the passage 3I is a vent or relief passage. The

element 38 has also certain transversecuts or notches, which for convenience may be termed ports, at four different transverse planes, indicated by the planes of the Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, which afford communication with one or the other of the ports 3|, 32, and 31, and p between the latter and the ports 8| to 88 in the hub I4. ,Thus as seen in Figure 2, a shallow` transverse notch 33 is in direct communication with the pressure passage 31, and upon rotation of the element 38 in one direction or the other places the pressure passage 31 in communication, either through the port 8i with a chamber 5I, or

through the port 82 with a chamber 52, as may be seen in Figure 2. v

In the next plane, beyond the end of the passage 31, a shallow notch 34, on the opposite side of the element 38, communicates with the 32,v and upon oscillation of the the pressure passage 32, in communication with a port 84, in communithrough the port 83. chamber 5I or, through gie In the next plane, shown in Figure '4, a deep notch 35, whichUiies beyond the end of the pressure passage 32, and which communicates only with the vent passage 3I, may by oscillation of the element 38 place the vent passage 3| in communication, either through the port 85 with a chamber 5I, or through the port 88 in communication with a chamber 52. Again in the next plane illustrated in Figure 5, a deep notch 38, which communicates only with the vent passage 3l, may by oscillation of the element 38 place the vent passage 3l, by way of port 81, in communication with a chamber 5I, or, by way of the port 83,' in communication with a chamber 52.

If we assume parts to be in equilibrium, in the positions shown in Figureslandinclusve, and if the thermostatic element 35,becoming unbalanced by a change of temperature, tends to move the element 30, as viewed in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive, in a counterclockwise direction, the following actions take place: Referring' first to Figure 2, this counterclockwise oscillation of the element 38 places the pressure passage 31, through the notch 33 and the port 8l, in communication with the lower left-hand chamber 5I, producing a tendency to move the vane or diaphragm I5 also counterclockwise. Referring to Figure 3, like counterclockwise movement of the element '38 places the pressure passage 32 in communication, through 34 and 63, with the-upper right hand chamber 5I, likewisetending to move the vanes I5 counterclockwise. Referring to Figure 4, the same counterclockwise movement of the element 38 places the vent passage 3l, through the notch 35 and the port 88, in communication with the lower right-hand chamber 52, removing resistance in this chamber to the followup or counterclockwise movement of the vane I5, and the same action occurs under like conditions in Figure 5, the upper left-hand chamber 52 being placed in communication with the vent passage 3| through the port 88. Accordingly, upon initial counterclockwise movement of the element 38 the chambers are connected with pressure or to a vent in such manner that the vane I5 immediately commences to move counterclockwise, under the influence of the pressure differential which has dturbed the equilibrium, and the various ports 8i to 88 inclusive, moving with the vanes I5.' tend to follow up and again to be closed off as the element 38 assumes a new or rotated position. Thus results a new position ot equilibrium.

In similar fashion it could be shown that if the element 38 is initially rotated clockwise from any g-iven position short of its! limit, corresponding clockwise movement of the vanes I5 will result until they again reach a new position of equilibrium.

This movement of the vanes I5, under the iniiuence of the pressure iiuid and the pressure differential, created as indicated above, is communicated to the controlled elements 1 and 18 by an arm 15 secured upon the end of I4 to rotate with the latter, and connected by a link 18 to the arm 12. Thus the element 38 is movable under the control of the controlling element l85, and the vanes I5, which constitute the diaphragm or piston of the servo control, is connected to the controlled elements 1 and 18 for conjoint movement.

The servo device may thus operate under automatic control, and is peculiarly susceptible to such automatic control, but it may be operatedunder manual control as well, as will be self-evident. It constitutes a sensitive device adjustable to any one of an infinite number of positions of equi.

librium within its range of movement. to accomplish movement of a controlled element under the inuence of movement of a weak controlling element. l

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A servo device for interposition between a controlled element and a controlling element, comprising a casing defining a closed chamber and a chambered supply passage leading thereto, a diaphragm movable within and dividing the chamber into two compartments, means operatively connecting ,the controlled element to the diaphragm, for conjoint movement, two cooperating valve members controlling the supply of a pressure fluid to one compartment and the venting of the other, a spirally Wound thermostatic controlling element within the chamber of the supply passage, one of said valve members being operatively connected for movement by and in accordance with movement of the diaphragm and the connected controlled element, and the other of said valve members being operatively connected for movement by and in accordance with movement of the thermostatic controlling element, the two valve members cooperating when relatively moved to move the controlled element to and to maintain it in any one* of an innite number of positions of equilibrium, depending upon the setting of the controlling element.

2. An oscillatable servo-motor comprising a casing, every section of which, normal to its axis, is a circle, said casing being diametrically partitioned by fixed abutments, to dene left-hand and right-hand chambers, a hollow oscillatable hub axially disposed, and having two diametrically disposed vanes in the opposite chambers, dividing each chamber into upper and lower compartments, a valve stem received within and oscillatable relative to the bore of the hub, said hub having four pressure ports, each communicating with one of the four compartments, and grouped in axially spaced pairs, and having also four vent ports, similarly communicating and grouped, but spaced axially from the pressure ports, and all. disposed closely adjacent `the oscillatable vanes, said valve stem having two axially spaced pressure ports each disposed for com.. munication, by relative oscillation of the valve and hub, with one or the other pressure port of its corresponding pair of the hub pressure ports, and two axially spaced vent ports similarly disposed and arranged each for communication with one or vthe other of its corresponding pair of the hub vent ports, the several ports being so disposed and arranged that one such oscillatory member follows up movement of the other, and control means operable to initiate oscillatory movement of one such member.

3. An oscillatable servo-motor as in claim 2, characterized in that the oscillatable valve stem has two separate longitudinal pressure passages connected to a pressure uid source, and connected, one to the stems pressure ports for the left-hand chamber, and the other to the stems pressure ports for the right-hand chamber, and in that the stem has a single longitudinal vent passage connected to all the stems vent ports.

4. An oscillatable servo-motor as in claim 2, characterized in that the oscillatable valve stem has two separate longitudinal pressure passages, one at theleft-hand side of its axis, extending only so far as the rst or left-hand pair of pressure ports, and the other at the right-hand side, extending only so far as the adjoining second or right-hand pair of pressure ports, the stem having also a single longitudinal vent passage extending past the pressure ports and to the last pair of vent ports, the stems pressure ports being formed as shallow notches extending inward only sufficiently to intersect the corresponding pressure passage, and the stems vent ports being also formed as notches deep enough to intersect the single vent passage.

` NATHAN C. PRICE. 

